Article 13 — Pilot and feasibility studies

1. The Commission (Eurostat) shall, where necessary and appropriate for the purposes of this Regulation, launch pilot and feasibility studies with the aim of: (a) assessing the availability of data sources and their quality, including of publicly and privately held data at Union and national level; (b) developing, and assessing the feasibility of the implementation of, new detailed topics, new statistical units, and new variables and their breakdowns, as well as developing and assessing the feasibility of other matters covered by the delegated and implementing acts adopted pursuant to this Regulation; (c) assessing the availability of data sources on the disability of persons, and testing disaggregated statistics, in accordance with national law and practices on data protection and disclosure control; (d) developing new methodologies and statistical techniques to reinforce quality and to enhance information about hard-to-reach population groups; (e) reducing asymmetries in data of migration flows and ensuring better comparability of migration flows; (f) reducing possible undercounting or double counting of people; (g) testing and assessing the infrastructure for and fitness of relevant privacy enhancing technologies for secure data sharing within the ESS in accordance with Article 12(5). 2. Member States may participate in the pilot and feasibility studies referred to in paragraph 1 but shall, together with the Commission (Eurostat), ensure the representativeness of those studies at Union level. 3. The results of the pilot and feasibility studies referred to in paragraph 1 shall be evaluated by the Commission (Eurostat) in cooperation with the Member States. The Commission (Eurostat) shall prepare, in cooperation with the Member States, reports on the findings of those studies.